'Knobhead' MP Tries to Whip Up Support for Hunting Ban

An MP who had the Labour whip removed for “persistent knobheadery” is attempting to pressure the Government into strengthening the 2004 Hunting Act.

Neil Duncan-Jordan has written to MPs and Peers, urging them to sign a joint letter to ministers which calls on them to publish details about plans to potentially ban trail hunting.

Duncan-Jordan was elected as MP for Poole in July 2024 with a majority of just 18 votes. Earlier this month he had the whip removed for organising rebellions against the government on winter fuel payments and welfare reform. One Labour Party source told The Times that Duncan Jordan had been kicked out of the party along with three other MPs for “persistent knobheadery” as well as suspicions that they were looking to join a new party led by Jeremy Corbyn.

Neil Duncan-Jordan MP met with representatives from the New Hunting Ban in Parliament in January.

The letter, seen by BTM, asks the government to explain when a consultation on strengthening the hunting ban will begin and if there is a predicted timetable for legislation. It also inquires whether the ban will be limited to just trail hunting or will include a wider range of measures to end hunting with hounds.

The letter claims that the public has seen enough ‘evidence’ of hunting crime, including that provided by the Hunt Saboteurs Association. The same organisation that supports violent criminals such as Paul Allman and Jay Tiernan, and endorses proscribed terrorist organisations like Palestine Action.

It is not currently known whether any MPs have signed the letter, which is due to be sent on Tuesday 29 July.

Alongside fellow suspended MP Rachael Maskell, Duncan-Jordan was a member of the short-lived New Hunting Ban ‘Parliamentary Committee’. In May, Behind The Masks revealed that this loose collection of mostly first-term MPs had no official status in Parliament and was in fact breaking official standards by referring to itself as ‘parliamentary’. NHB has since changed the description on its website to ‘Our supporting Members of Parliament’.

Duncan-Jordan met with leaders from NHB in Parliament in January, when he was photographed alongside prominent sabs Rhys Giles and Philip Walters. Walters, who was previously the leader of the North Hunt Saboteurs, is thought to have an extensive criminal record, including a reported 15-month driving ban for drink driving in November 2003.

The Labour Party had pledged to reform the Hunting Act in its 2004 manifesto. However, given how well the party’s other election pledges are holding up, it is not clear whether this will happen. Environment Secretary Daniel Zeichner has said the Government will consult with stakeholders but there is currently no timeline for that consultation.